A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1488-1657
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0]
Gyding, Giding, Guiding, n. Also: gydyng, -yne, -in, -eng, gydding, guyd-, gwyding. [ME. gidyng (c 1460), guydyng (c 1425), f. Gyde v.]
1. The action of leading, directing, or controlling. Freq. const. of.(a) 1490 Irland Mir. I. 140/34.
The euill angelis has the reule and gyding of thame c1515 Asloan MS I. 329/16.
The … gydyng of mannis five wittis to Goddis plesour 1500 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 82.
Quharethrow gude rewle and gyding may be had amaingis us of the said craft 1529 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 122.
To gif Maister Johne Bissat … tene lib. Scottis … for the rewill aind gydin of thair skuill 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 267.
I waid ȝe seuin suld him ressaue And him to leirne and into gyding haue 1570 Leslie 280.
Twa anseinges of Scottismen, ondir the gyding of James Steward 1590 Edinburgh Testaments XXI. 193.
He … leuis the said Symon his sone to be in gydding & keiping … to Symon his moder broder c1650 Spalding I. 267.
Quhilk committe … sould sit weiklie in Abirdein … , for gyding and reuling of the toune and schire(b) 1488 Acts II. 210/2.
At thar be … personis of … gud disposiciouine & vnsuspect to his hienes … to the gud giding of his realme 1519 Reg. Privy S. I. 475/2.
With power to … cheis curatouris to help him in the giding of the said office 1533 Boece v. iv. 170 b.
The giding of the realme salbe assigmt to sic men as the counsell fyndis maist ganand(c) 1535 Stewart 6867.
Sic pepill sa puir and indigent, … But grace and gwyding, and but governance c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1385.
Ane knicht of France … , Quhilk had the guiding haillilie Vnder Johne, duke of Albanie 1584 Satirical Poems xlv. 954.
I schame to tell Sa oft as I misvsit my sell, On guyding of the giftis of grace
b. Regulating (of a clock). 1583 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 100.
His frenes is assignit … for rowlling and gyding of the knok 1657 Ib. II. 537.
To the deceist Johne Neill be his discharge for his fiall for his guyding of the knockis
2. Self-guidance, conduct, behaviour; management of one's own affairs.(a) c1515 Asloan MS I. 181/9.
He disprysis his noblenes that takis kepe and tent till vther mennis gyding 1504 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 101.
That thai … consider … the rewle of thair seruandis in all maner of gyding, playing, nychtwalking and utheris c1500-c1512 Dunb. xix. 41.
I wald my gyding war diwysit, … Lord God, how sall I governe me 1533 Boece v. i. 163.
Mogall … , memorative of the glorios actis of his gudeschir, studyit to ensew his maneris and sorte of gyding 1562 Protocol Book of Gilbert Grote 53.
Gif thai wer of ewill gyding and intendit to sell … the said landis a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS xxx. 52.
Maistreis and reif is gyding and gude thrift 1638 Bk. Pasquils 86.
Our causse to spoyle by oure awen eivell gyding(b) 1531 Bell. Boece I. vi.
Our life, our giding, and our aventuris, Dependis from thir hevinlie creaturis 1533 Boece Table 9.
How Fynnance was crownit. Of his vertuos gidiing(c) 1567 Satirical Poems vii. 215.
God maid hir paine aggre with hir guyding 1571 Ib. xxv. 56.
This guyding gart grit greif aryse In me a1605 Montg. Sonn. xxv. 9.
Ye knau ill guyding genders mony gees, And specially in poets
b. pl. Ways of acting. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 451.
Wise women has wayis, and wonderfull gydingis With gret engyne to beiaip ther ielyus husbandis 1572 Satirical Poems xxxiv. 12.
I doe espy … The Scottisch tred … To be so bad, that from the rest Thair lyfis and guydingis ar detest
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Gyding n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 11 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/gyding>
